Camila Batmanghelidjh Interview

Kids Companys founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh, talks to Red about choosing her vocation and tells us why she thinks only miserable people do work/life balance.

Camila is a force of nature. Born in Tehran, she told her parents she wanted to run an orphanage when she was just nine years old. After moving to England when she was 11, Camila became a part-time therapist in London, which led her to start her own charity, The Place to Be.

Today, she runs Kids Company  a charity that cares for vulnerable children in London  and has written two books, Mind the Child and Shattered Lives: Children Living with Courage and Dignity, so its hardly surprising that she landed a place in the BBC Womans Hour list of the top 100 most powerful women in the UK. Always draped in her flowery gown and turban, Camila is well-known for her eccentric outfits. But its her warm heart, wise words and wonderful spirit that truly make her stand out from the crowd. We caught up with Camila to find out what inspired her to dedicate her life to others.

Even as a nine-year-old I had this sense of a personal energy that was going to fry me like an egg, and I knew that I had to live my life beyond the boundaries of I. My brothers used to say to their friends shes plugged into a different socket - leave her alone. It was only years later that I realised my interest in human beings could be fulfilled through psychotherapy.

I love working with children, because they are often simultaneously so courageous and so fragile. That a four year old whose skin has been burned or beaten with belts, a child who has endured chronic maltreatment and degradation, can still believe that your help might just change things, moves me to tears.

Im a clinician, but above all, Im a witness to what these children go through, and the clever ways they defend themselves against being fragmented. So, I find the children I work with deeply inspiring. I love their humour, their quirky drawings, tantrums, manipulations, and their touching gratitude. I am very lucky to spend all my time around such special little people.

Only miserable people do work/life balance. Im living my dream every day  why would I want to go on holiday? In any event, I couldnt have tourists traumatised by my big bikini bum on my conscience.

I love felt tips, and swimming. So, a bit of drawing and swinging my arms in a vast swimming pool makes me so happy. Generally I dont get stressed  Im a naturally chilled chick.

I keep in my heart everything the children share with me, so when it gets to writing a book its as if the story room is opened, and all their experiences flood the page. I usually dictate the books in one go  the first one took me eleven days, the second three. I close my eyes and just talk and then my lovely PAs type it as the sentences come out of my mouth. They tend to take turns because their fingers begin to ache, but together we make the childrens experiences visible.

When I was 18 I made a choice. It was either going to be following through with the commitment of giving up my personal life to work with children, or I was going to have my own family and make a commitment to them.

I decided following my vocation was the right choice for me. It was clear that I needed to minimise my personal responsibilities so that when I took risks they didnt impact those around me who may have been reliant on me.

Even if you have a passion, in pursuit of it you mustnt hurt others. So only take financial risks if you are not going to damage your loved ones.

People who have kindness in their hearts are your daily miracles. Those who have envy are your toxic darts. The miracles are delicious, but you need to duck the darts. If they get you, forgive them. Revenge is playing their game. It takes you away from the good you want to do.

So whenever I come across hatred, I try to put it upon a leaf in my mind and watch it gently wash downstream. The law of nature ends up restoring justice. Who am I to be in charge of it? But, at the same time, I have to protect the good for our children. So, it is a tightrope, preserving the good against the bad, but not becoming involved with the destructive.

I believe that if youre able to express your compassion, then its like a battery: it recharges you. So I am constantly in a good mood. No matter what happens I remain hopeful, and every day I get a present  the kindness of a donor, or the recovery of a child. I always say, if youre on your deathbed today  would it all have been worth it? Currently, in my case, the answer is one hundred per cent yes.

I dont want any misery at my funeral. I think people should be happy because I have lived the best possible life: even though Ive seen so much tragedy, Ive also seen the human spirit flourish within it, over and over again.

The women who inspire me arent known publicly, but there are a lot of them scattered around the country. These are the people who adopt and foster children, some of whom are profoundly disturbed. To open your home to a strangers child, and make the commitment a parent would towards that child, is surely one of the most inspiring gifts a woman can give to the world.

I do love all the designers, the fashionistas, the lipstick-lovers, the handbag-clutchers, the rubberlips, the fake tan Queens, and anyone who does anything original, enriching the fabric of our society.

I dont listen to advice, and neither do I give it. But I will always help people, if I can.

Im planning to open a really cool old peoples home with slides into the bathtub, conveyor belts that take you right round the building (so you dont need to walk if you have dodgy knees), rainbow coloured sheets, and a salad bar full of the best-fitting false teeth (pick one a day). All my favourite staff, donors and supporters will have free membership  itll be the best place to live as an octogenarian. Oh, and cake every afternoon.

Camila Batmanghelidjh is founder of the charity, Kids Company. To donate, go to kidsco.org.uk

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